Naruto: The Lost Five Paths
by Mr. Nuclear
Summary: The feeling of being alone is never something anyone likes. There is so much hatred that one person can take. How much pain can the human mind take before they break? It can all change in one event. One incident is all it takes to change someone.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back and I finally had the time to buy a laptop. In my break, I started to think of how I would make Naruto If I had my own way. This has been bugging me for a while then my imagination ran wild and created a story. I'll be able to update my stories now so get ready for the bombs to drop people.**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but if I did he'd be way more badass than he is now.

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Uzumaki Naruto.

If you never heard of that name then you must have lived under a rock for your whole life. Every adult in the hidden leaf village knew that name. They didn't just know it, they feared it. Kids were told to not go anywhere near him or talk to him. He was an outcast. Kids didn't know any better, so they just listened to their parents. They didn't see anything wrong with him but if their parents told them that he was dangerous then they would listen to them.

The same thing could be said of said boy. Naruto didn't know what caused the village to hate him so much. A six-year-old would never understand what was truly going on around him. He didn't know any better so he just guessed that there was something wrong with him. Maybe it was the whiskers on his face.

Walking around the village was the worst thing he could do. The stares from all the villagers got to him. He would always look like he didn't care but in reality, it cut deep. Being alone for all your life can have multiple negative effects on you. Depression is something a six-year-old should never have to feel but thanks to how he was treated there were no choice. No one liked him and no one would talk to him. He didn't know what to do with himself half the time and sometimes suicide seemed like a better choice for him. Depressing isn't it. How far the human mind of a six year has come.

He knew things that most kids his age did not. It was a fact that Naruto always worked his hardest to become the top ninja at the academy. He wasn't the smartest person in the world but even he knew that he wasn't as bad as his grades made him out to be. The teachers at the academy would always tamper with his results ending him at the bottom of the class. At some point, he stopped caring because there was nothing he could do. He didn't want to bother the Hokage with this because the old man had more important things to deal with.

It sucks to be by yourself. After a while, he felt like he was losing himself. Like he had no place to belong. His heart hurt just thinking about his future. When one's heart is shattered to a million pieces who's there to pick them up. A friend? A family member?

Well, Naruto Uzumaki didn't have any.

XxX

(Naruto - Age 4)

" _Why are you alone?"_

 _A young pink haired girl stared at the blond that sat by himself. She had always come to the park to play with her friend Ino. Sakura Haruno was like any other kid. She was energetic and innocent. She's been going to the park a lot and had noticed the quiet blond on the swings every day._

 _She always wondered why no one would play with him. Ino had told her to try to get him to play with them. Other kids would say that he was dangerous but her and Ino didn't see anything dangerous about the boy. He wasn't scary like the monsters that she reads about in books._

" _My name is Sakura. Why don't you come play with us?" She gave the boy a bright smile._

 _The young blond boy sat on his swing with a far away look. His eyes were as cold as ice. It was like his soul had been sucked out and only the shell was left behind._

" _Come on." Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand and dragged him to where she and Ino were building sand castles._

 _Ino looked up and smiled that she was able to bring him along with her. She always saw him playing by himself and felt really bad._

 _Sakura found out that his name was Naruto. The two girls then began to giggle as they started to build. Naruto just sat by them and watched them. Was that what having a friend looked like? He reached out and picked up a plastic shovel to help out._

 _Sakura noticed this and smiled, "There you go. Now do it like this." She then began to show him how it was done._

 _Naruto watched her steps and did exactly as she did. He looked at his first ever sand castle. It looked like shit but he felt something in his chest. He did something that he thought he would never be able to do again_

 _He smiled._

 _Naruto then went on to play with them. For the first time in his life, he felt joy. He didn't feel alone and he felt like he belonged. After a few hours, the girls had to go home. They promised that they would return tomorrow to play with him._

 _They never came back._

XxX

 **Chapter one: The Incident**

(Naruto - Age 6)

Naruto was sitting on a chair at his kitchen table eating some ramen and thinking about things. His life sucked and he hated everything about. The only one that he liked in the village was the Hokage because he was always nice to him. He would come every month and give him his allowance and hang out with him for a while. He would also visit him on his birthdays for an hour before he had to go and do his work.

Naruto understood the importance of the old man's job. He knew that he was going to be busy and wouldn't have the time to take care of him all the time. He hated when he left because he wouldn't be able to talk to anyone else after that. The Hokage was the only person he would ever talk to. Lately, he's been sending his allowance by a Ninja with a mask. Seems like he was busy and had to send someone else to deliver it.

Naruto finished his ramen and changed out of his pajamas. He was somewhat excited today because they were doing a small taijutsu practice match today. He loved them even if he always lost. He took his frustration out during those matches but even with that, it wasn't enough to beat people who were part of a clan.

He put a white shirt over his head and finished getting dressed. He didn't have much clothes because no one would sell him anything for some reason. He was fine with what he had because he appreciated the work that the old man did to get him an apartment. It was better than nothing. He walked into his bathroom to brush his teeth and immediately looked next to the mirror. Next to the mirror was a kunai that was nailed hanging on the wall with a written sign on top of it. Naruto's handwriting wasn't the best and anyone would chuckle just looking at it. He never let anyone see what was written on it especially the old man. The sign said, ' _The easy way out._ '

It was a constant reminder of how easy it would be for all this pain that he felt to disappear. Every morning was a choice for him. He could end it all so easily. He looked into the mirror and noticed how cold and emotionless his eyes were.

"Why? Why me?" Tears began to come out of his eyes and he began to cry just like every other morning.

He was a broken child that has lost all hope in himself. He was getting closer and closer to finally ending everything.

XxX

(Academy)

On the way to the academy, Naruto was met with the glares of the villagers. He would always look down because the glares got to him sometimes. He has always wondered why people hated him but he stopped asking himself that a long time ago. He even asked the old man and even he didn't know. It was always better to ignore them because if he did something then he may get in trouble and cause Jiji more problems. He hated bothering the old man so he kept a few thing to himself.

The academy was where young students would go to be trained and taught various things about the ninja world. Naruto wanted to be a ninja because he saw the amazing thing Jiji could do. Ninjas would go out on missions outside the village and would protect the village with their life.

Naruto hated the way he was treated but Jiji always told him that they were just acting on fear and that caused them to misjudged him. He didn't know what they would be scared of him because he wasn't dangerous or anything. He came to a conclusion that if he became a ninja people wouldn't be so scared of him. Maybe they may even treat him like a normal person.

He loved the academy and it was a place for him to learn new things. He walked in front of the classroom and opened the door. All the students were talking to each other and were laughing. The classroom held a positive atmosphere of all the young and innocent kids. He walked to the back the class and sat down near a window and looked out the window.

"~Oh Sasuke-kun~"

Naruto turned his head and noticed the girls all crowd around Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha was part of the great Uchiha clan who were known for their famous Sharingan. He was at the top of the class and was extremely popular. He would get along with everyone in the class. Naruto held some jealousy over it but there was nothing he could really do about it.

Naruto sighed, "What a life…"

The doors opened and a man walked in. Said man had a scar that ran across the bridge of his nose. He had brown hair that was in a ponytail and was wearing a usual chunin vest. This man was known as Iruka Umino, academy instructor. He felt like Iruka gave him glares sometimes but it wasn't anything bad compared to other people. He was very serious about his job and getting him angry wasn't something anyone wanted.

"Good morning class, today we will be doing some taijutsu practice matches outside. Let me just finish taking attendance." Iruka was in a good mood today because so far all his students were listening to him without any interruptions. As he was checking the names he got to Naruto's and his head went up to the corner of the room.

Naruto wasn't exactly his most favorite but he was a quiet and respectful kid. He would just sit in the corner of the room and do his work. His grades were terrible but he could see his drive to learn things. When he first arrived at the classroom he was determined to be the best but as time went on he noticed that he became much more isolated and kept things to himself. He was really worried but dismissed it as a phase he must be going through.

After a few minutes, everyone was in the yard waiting for their names to be called up. Naruto stood behind the whole group and waited. He didn't have anyone to talk to like the rest so he would just wait for his turn. He hoped he would go soon because he was fully confident that he would win today.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto stiffened at the name that he was up against. It was known that Sasuke would beat anyone in the class which is the reason why he was at the top. The Uchiha taijutsu was really something to be scared about. Naruto walked up to the front and stood in the match circle. He looked at Sasuke to had an innocent smile on his face.

"Go Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto teeth clenched at the sound of their yelling. They were really annoying him. He peeked at the group of girls and spotted pink hair and he blushed at the sight. Every since he met her two years ago he always thought of her. He tried to talk to her once but it seemed like she forgot about him. He did only see her once but that was something he would never forget.

Iruka finished writing the names and looked at the two, "Okay, begin!"

Naruto ran towards Sasuke in hope of getting the first strike but was met with a kick to the face. Naruto grabbed his face in pain. That really hurt. He noticed that Sasuke kept looking at him in his stance. Naruto usually fought other normal non-clan kids but this was the first time he was facing someone from a clan.

Naruto charged again in a zigzag motion to try to confuse him a bit but it didn't work when Sasuke quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and tripped him causing him to fall backward. Naruto looked at the sky and noticed how beautiful it was. There was not a cloud in sight. Naruto closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. If only this peaceful moment lasted a bit longer.

"~Kya! Go Sasuke-kun!~"

Naruto's peace was instantly over the moment they decided to scream. He picked himself off and noticed that Sasuke had his hand out. It wasn't to help him out. It was the seal of reconciliation. Naruto shook his head and walked to the back of the group.

Iruka would've said something but he knew Naruto would listen to him. He never accepted the seal no matter how many times he lost. It was like naruto didn't see anyone as his equal. He sighed and looked at Sasuke and smiled, "Good job Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded his head and gave the instructor a smile before making his way to his friends. It was an easy victory because he noticed that Naruto didn't have any form and just charged head one. His brother always told him to take advantage of a weak opponent and end them quickly.

Iruka began to write the final results and sighted. It may be his first year but if Naruto continued the way he was going he might not make it very far, "Okay class we're going to do extra credit. We're going to do some shuriken practice."

The students all lined up to take their turns. Sasuke was able to hit 7/10 which impressed the whole class. Naruto watched on how quickly everyone congratulated him. More and more students went up and it seemed like not many excelled to Sasuke's level which got him more admiration from his fangirls

"Good job Sasuke. You're really improving much faster than I thought. 7[10 wasn't the best but considering that it was his first year that said a lot about him. Not many can get that so fast. Considering who his brother was it was nice to see Sasuke live up to the Uchiha clan.

It was Naruto's turn next, he looked at the targets and was ready to show them how it's done. He threw the shurikens and hoped to hit something. He had confidence in all of his throws so he decided to throw all of them at the same time. Every single shuriken he threw didn't hit anything. They hit the wall behind the targets and fell to the ground. Everyone in the classroom laughed at Naruto. Iruka had a very disappointing look on his face when he saw that. He hoped that Naruto would be able to hit at least on the targets.

One of the kids pointed and laughed at him, "Naruto-baka strikes again." The kids all laughed at the new name that Naruto would now be know.

Naruto didn't face any of the students and looked down. Looks like his confidence didn't help him out this time. It never does. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't practice anywhere. His kunai were old and he couldn't do much practicing with those. He couldn't buy any because no one would sell him anything. He always practice with what he had even if he knew it would help him. What else could he do? He really tried his best but it seemed like it wasn't paying off.

Iruka noticed the tension, "Alright everyone back to class." He noticed that Naruto didn't move from his spot, "Don't worry about it Naruto. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon." He believed in all of his students even Naruto.

Naruto stood there and stared at the ground. He honestly tried his best but why… why didn't he improved? He had asked for help but none of the teachers bother to even help him, "What's wrong with me?"

Iruka heard him whispering something, "Sorry, Did you say something Naruto?"

"What's wrong with me?"

Iruka heard him that time and walked towards him, "What do you mean Naruto? There's nothing wrong with you." Maybe the kids were picking on him again, "It's alright Naruto."

"Then why do you look at me with the same eyes as everyone?" Even if they weren't as bad as the villagers it still hurt him to think that he couldn't even trust his own teachers.

Iruka stopped walking, "What are yo-"

Naruto turned around and Iruka noticed the tears on his face, "You're just like the rest of them. It's not my fault no one wants to teach me! I try my best but there is only so much that I can do by myself!"

Iruka looked down knowing what Naruto was talking about. He couldn't deny anything that he was saying because he was right. Naruto had come to him for help but he was 'busy'. In reality, he held the same pain everyone held on that day 6 years ago.

"Forget this!" Naruto turned around and ran away with tears in his eyes. The fact that Iruka didn't deny it means that he was right. Even his teachers hated him.

"Naruto wait!" Iruka wanted to go after him but his legs failed to respond. What could he say to him to make him feel any better? He fucked up and he knew it.

XxX

Naruto sat on the fourth Hokage head and looked on out to the village. How could he become a ninja when even the teachers rejected him? He just wants to be somebody. He's tired of being invisible and being a nobody. Was he destined to be ignored for his whole life? He had begged the Hokage to enter him into the academy because he really wanted to be someone the village can count on. He wanted a purpose in life.

He was like a lost lamb with nowhere to go. For every path he took a road block would appear every time. Maybe the easy way out is the only answer he has. He honestly never thought that he would think about it but it seemed like its time. He stood up and looked at the village. The old man loved the village and would do all he could to defend it. Naruto wanted to do the same and to one day make him proud of all of his accomplishments.

He felt a presence behind him and he frowned, "Jiji…" Nobody else would look for him but the old man. No one would waste energy coming for him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, looked at the young blond looking over the village, "It's beautiful isn't it." He saw Naruto nod his head, "Iruka came notified me that you had run away from class." He walked next to Naruto and looked down at him.

Naruto looked into his eyes, "Jiji, I'm tired."

Sarutobi looked into Naruto's eyes and he didn't see the eyes of a young boy. He saw the eyes of someone who has been broken and emotionally exhausted. He clenched his teeth and was angry at himself. He wanted to do much more for the boy but the council has been on his ass for the longest time. He even suggested adopting him but they refused the idea really quickly.

He prayed that Minato would forgive him for what has happened to his son. He loved the village and would do what he can to protected but sometimes he questioned that. He was just a boy for kami sakes and they treated him like he was a criminal. Sarutobi cried for the boy sometimes because he felt so powerless. If Naruto ever came to hate him he would understand because he couldn't do as much as he wanted.

One would think that because he was the Hokage he could do what he wanted but that wasn't how things worked. He wished it did but sadly it wasn't. The council had the final say in everything so when it came to Naruto it wouldn't work. Nothing he suggested was ever approved. He just wanted the boy to have a normal life.

At that moment when he heard those words, he felt like crying. It wasn't every day that he the most powerful ninja in the village felt vulnerable. But just looking into the eyes of the six-year-old could break anyone.

"Naruto, I'm sorry." He heard Naruto chuckle but it wasn't out of humor.

"It's okay Jiji. You can only do so much as the Hokage. I respect you the most and you will continue to be like family to me even if you're not always there." He turned towards him, "Just keep doing your own thing Jiji. To be a great ninja you must fight through the tough times."

Sarutobi bit his lips. No ninja will ever go through what he has gone through. Naruto may respect him but it was Naruto who deserved all the respect. He has been through the most out of anyone. From the assassination attempts to poisoning the poor boy. He hasn't even turned one and he had more people hated him than anyone he's ever met.

"Thanks for everything that you have done for me Jiji. I really appreciate it. It's not much but I take what I can get." With that, he began to walk away.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" He at least wanted to make sure he got home safely.

Naruto stopped for a second, "I'm fine. I just need some time to myself." He walked down the steps and left Sarutobi alone.

Hiruzen has seen a lot in his days but for the first time in his life, he truly hated himself.

XxX

Naruto walked around the village with his hands in his pockets. He was proud of himself for keeping a straight face. He wanted to yell at the old man for all his suffering but even he knew that it wouldn't fix anything. For a six-year-old Naruto knew things most wouldn't because of the experiences that he had in the past. Since today would be his last day he did something he hasn't done in a while. He looked up as he was walking. He saw the way people looked at him.

If he wasn't so used to it he would cry and run away but he decided to take it all in. He saw people walking with their parents and the frowned at the sight. He at least wanted to know who his parents were before he ended it all. It has always been in the back of his mind for a long time. Who were they? Why did they leave him? Did they even love him?

As he was walking he saw Sasuke walk around with someone. It must be his older brother that he would talk about with in class. Itachi Uchiha. He was the prime definition of a prodigy and Sasuke admired him. Naruto has never seen him before but he looked strong. He's heard many rumors on his strength and Naruto wanted to fight him one day. He knew that he would get beat but he liked a challenge. Naruto walked up to them both.

Sasuke noticed him and turned to look at him, "I'm sorry about today." He had told Itachi about Naruto and he suggested that he'd apologize. Sasuke felt really bad about embarrassing him after he didn't come back to the classroom.

Naruto stiffened at the sudden apology but decided to give Sasuke a forced smile, "Don't worry about it." He could at least show some emotions on his last day, "You got the best of me." He extended his hands towards Sasuke.

Sasuke noticed that Naruto was doing the seal of reconciliation. He was confused but was shoved by Itachi. Sasuke noticed his brother nod at him. He returned the seal and smile, "Good luck next time."

"Let's hope that there will be a next time."

Itachi watched the two of them talking. He knew who Naruto was, in fact, everyone did. He had saved the boy a few times from assassinations. He knew the smile that he had on his face at the moment was fake. It was the smile of someone who was tired and had giving up all hope. He noticed Naruto was staring at him, "Yes?"

"Can we spar one day?"

Itachi was a bit surprised by the question. Everyone knew how strong he was and not many wanted to spar with him, "When you can beat Sasuke, I'll consider it." Naruto gave the man a nod and walked away.

"That was weird."

Itachi looked at his brother, "How so?"

"He never talked to anyone and I have never seen him smile." It was odd of him to suddenly approach him. He's never talked to Naruto because the other kids had warned him about the dangers of Naruto.

Itachi continued to walk with Sasuke. It was to be expected that Naruto would suffer through his childhood but to see him broken at such a young age really bugged him. The boy was really strong to endure all the hate of the village. Not many people can see past all of the hate and see who Naruto really is. Those that can respect him on some level.

"Niisan-san?"

"Yes, Sasuke."

"Why did he look sad when he smiled?"

Itachi mumbled something that Sasuke couldn't hear, "Because he's lost all hope."

XxX

After talking with Sasuke, Naruto continued on his way to his house he was enjoying the walk and it was better walking with your head up. It was like he was facing his problems head on. He was jealous of Sasuke because he had everything that Naruto wanted but as a person Sasuke was alright. He heard some laughing and realized that he was in his favorite place to be. Ichiraku Ramen.

It was the one place that would allow him to eat. He loved the place to death but what he loved, even more, were the kind people that allowed him to eat there. Teuchi and Ayame. They were one of the few people that saw him as a person and treated him like anyone normal.

As he walked in he was treated with a smile from both Teuchi and Ayame, "Naruto, How's my favorite customer!"

Naruto gave the man a thumbs up, "Just hanging in there. Can I have one pork ramen?" One last meal wouldn't hurt.

Both Ayame and Teuchi were a bit shocked that he only ordered one. He would usually eat around ten for ever visit. Teuchi nodded his head and went to the kitchen. Seems like Naruto wasn't having the best day.

Ayame waited for her father to finished, "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" She could tell that something had happened with the way he looked.

Naruto gave her a lazy smile, "I'm just tired Ayame-chan."

Ayame giggled at him, "Being a ninja is hard work Naruto-kun. Don't quit just because you're tired."

Naruto nodded his head at her, "Don't worry Ayame-chan, I'm just going home to sleep it off." He looked at the desk and sighed. He felt hands on his cheeks.

Ayame lifted his head to look at her, "We're here for you if you ever need us Naruto-kun."

"Is someone bugging Naruto?" Teuchi yelled from the back as he was making the ramen. He would beat up anyone bothering his favorite customer.

Ayame giggled at her father, "Don't start now dad." He saw naruto like a son and would sometimes get defensive if Naruto was being troubled.

Naruto watched them interact and smiled again. The atmosphere in this shop always makes him feel somewhat better. He closed his eyes and just imagines the three of them laughing and having fun. Back then it was so simple and much better. That was before reality hits and you realize that you're stuck in a hole that is very hard to get out of.

"Here you go Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked at his pork ramen. The smells was so good and it felt like he was melting away. For old time sakes, he decided to eat it like he used to. He ate at so fast that it seemed like he was just inhaling it. Both Ayame and Teuchi decided to timed it.

Naruto put his bowl down and burped, "That was good." It was a good long time since he had a bowl of ramen. The flavor was an A+ to him.

"New record Naruto-kun." She wrote it down on a piece of paper. She would always keep track of it to see if anyone could beat it. It was the restaurant's challenge that if anyone beat it they would get ramen free for made it for life because they knew no one would ever beat it.

"Oh Naruto my boy, you never stop amazing me." The way Naruto ate his ramen made him feel good about himself. He made it look like his ramen was the best there is. The poor boy deserves all the happiness that he can get. He'd gladly do it every time he came here. He was sure his daughter couldn't agree more, "How about another one, on the house?"

Naruto looked outside and noticed that it was getting dark, "Sorry I have something to do. Thank you for always being there for me. I really appreciate it." He got off his seat and walked away.

"Come back soon Naruto-kun. That was a strange way of saying goodbye." Ayame was quite curious why he said that like he was going away.

"Such a good kid. I hope he comes tomorrow. I'm making a new flavor and need someone to test it." He laughed to himself and went back to the kitchen to keep practicing.

Naruto came out of the restaurant's feeling satisfied. That was a good last meal. He loved ramen more than anything and would argue with anyone who says so. He patted his stomach and was on his way. Teuchi and Ayame were the greatest people that he has ever met. They sacrificed their business to feed him. Most people don't come back after seeing him there. He was really thankful for that.

"Sasuke-kun is so cute today wasn't he?"

"He really beat Naruto so fast. It was amazing"

Naruto saw Sakura and Ino walking together. His eyes focused on Sakura. She had caught his attention two years ago when she approached him. No one had even batted an eye towards him but she did. She was a sweet girl. Her beautiful pink hair and amazing emerald eyes made him feel funny inside. It was a warm feeling that he had no idea what it was. He told the old man but all he did was chuckle at him. Jiji knew something and didn't want to say anything.

When he had entered the academy he noticed that she and Ino were the same class as him and he was really happy about that. He tried to talk to them but when they spoke he realized that they didn't know who he was. Two years was a long time and he understood that they forgot but he tried to make friends but it was hard to approach them after that when they were always with groups of friends.

He liked Sakura a lot. Not just like but like like. He would always stare at her when she's not looking. Just being around her made him feel happy like he was back then. He always wanted to thank her for bringing some hope into his life two years ago.

He noticed that they were walking his direction and decided to continue walking. When he walked past them he stopped. He wanted to at least talk to her one last time. It took a lot of courage for what he was about to do. He started getting a bit nervous and opened his mouth, "Sakura."

"Huh?" Both Ino and Sakura turned around at the sound of someone calling Sakura. They saw blond spiky hair and knew immediately who it was. Naruto. His shirt was still dirty which indicated that he never went home after skipping school.

Sakura squinted her eyes, "Did you call me?"

Naruto was still looking the other way. He bit his lips. He was really scared at the moment and didn't want to turn around. What should he say? The more time he waited the more they would become impatient.

"Naruto. Did you call Sakura?" That was Ino's voice and he felt that she was annoyed.

Naruto took a deep breath and turned around. He put his right hand in his pocket and smile at them, "Yea I did." He walked up to them until they were a few feet away from him.

"What did you need?" She was actually very curious about what he wanted. Naruto never talked to her. He did in the beginning of the academy but after that, he never said another word.

Naruto just stared at them both with a smile on his face. His smile was a bit crooked because smiling had become really hard for him to do. He hoped that he didn't look stupid. He probably did look so stupid but at the moment he didn't care. Sakura was actually paying attention to him and that was more than enough.

Ino was getting a bit annoyed by the silence, "Are you going to te-"

"I like you."

"Huh?" Both Ino and Sakura were a bit shocked by the sudden confession.

"I like you Sakura." He repeated himself to make sure that she heard him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't blushing.

Sakura blushed at the sudden confession, "Y-you like me?" She saw him nod his head, "I, um…" She was just as shocked as Ino.

Ino noticed how uncomfortable Sakura was, "If you haven't noticed, She already likes someone else." She hopes that he would go away after finding out he had no chance.

"I know."

Ino's eyes widened at his response. Why would he confess then? He knew he had no chance, "Then why did you confess?"

Naruto closed his eyes and turned around. He stretched his arms in the air, "I don't know really. It's something I don't want to go away without saying." He didn't want to regret never saying anything to her.

Sakura didn't really know what to say to him so she bowed her head, "I'm sorry." She always thought no one would like her because of how shy she was and how big her forehead was but it was nice to know that someone liked her like that.

Naruto kept standing there and turned his head towards her, "I also wanted to thank you and Ino."

Both Ino and Sakura looked at each other in confusion. Thank them? For what? They don't remember ever doing anything for him that required him to thank them. Ino took a step forward, "Thank us for what?"

Naruto's didn't want to say anymore than that so he just chuckled at them, "After today I'm sure you won't have to worry about it." With that, he began to walk away from the two confused girls.

XxX

After his failed confession he kept on walking and walking. He wanted to waste as much time as he could. He just wanted to keep on living just a little more. He's shown more emotion today than he has even done in his life. He was actually happy that he said his goodbyes and did confess to Sakura. He was happy. It's been a long time since he felt this happy.

His mind was a clusterfuck at the moment. When knowing that your time will come to an end your mind will keep thinking of the many happy things throughout your life. He didn't really have much but the thoughts did comfort him a bit. He will never forget those that stood by his side and didn't falter during the bad times.

"There he is! Get him!"

A crowd of villagers appeared behind him for some strange reason. By the smell of the air, he could tell that they had been drinking. They all were carrying weapons and were glaring at him like he was the devil himself. Why did they want to hurt him now? He knew that they hated him but by the looks of their glares it seemed like he was going to die today.

"Damn it!" Naruto ran the opposite direction to increase the distance between them. He had a gut feeling that it was a bad idea to stay out late. He just wanted to admire the village a bit more but it seems like can't even do that.

They never went this far. Why today of all day does this have to happen to him? They usually just glare or sometimes throw garbage at him but that's about it. They have never threatened to kill him like they are now. They were yelling 'Demon' behind him. Is that why they hated him? Was he a demon to them?

"He's over there!"

The blond boy panicked at the sound of the man's voice. It looks like he wasn't going to be able to kill himself because people wanted to do it for him. Isn't that what he wanted. He shook his head, only he could kill himself. He wasn't going to allow them to kill him. He ran a bit faster but he was tired. He was emotionally drained from all the stuff he had done today.

Naruto ran into an alley in hopes of losing them and he seemed to be getting lost himself. He ran down a long alley and noticed that it was a dead end. Like his life couldn't get any worse. It was like today was a day to screw with him. Seems like Kami will do anything from letting him go home. Maybe this was the way that he go down. He never really saw this coming at all. He always dreamed of dying a hero's death while protecting the village. He was tired and exhausted.

Naruto looked at the sky in rage, "Is this what you want huh!?" He began to punch the wall with his fists, "You like seeing me suffer don't you!" He kept screaming at the heavens hoping for someone to respond. Nothing was going to change his situation. He was going to die at the hands of villagers that he wished would one day look up to him.

"I think he's over there!"

The hate in their voice was there. The way they talked and looked at him was like he was the reincarnation of demon just waiting to kill. He was just a kid. There's no way he has done anything to make any of them hate him. He just wanted a normal life. Something that everyone seems to be getting but him. He knew there was no way out now so all he could do is make it hard on them. He wasn't going down without a fight. If he died right here without a fight that would make him like any other weakling out there. He was strong and will fight till his last breath.

He quickly looked through the trash bins that were around him and knocked them over. He started to look for a weapon that may help him in this situation. He noticed a few small empty glass bottles on the floor and grabbed three of them. He also spotted a kunai and grabbed it. He put three bottles in between his fingers and used some old black tape that he had found to tape his fingers together. He taped the kunai on his other hand to ensure that he wouldn't drop it. He smashed the end of the bottles to make them sharp.

Normal civilians were something that he may be able to handle but he noticed that he saw a Chunin vest on one of them when they were chasing him. It seems like even the ninjas of the village held some sort of hate towards him. He knew that he wouldn't make out alive if Chunins were there but he would give it his all.

He was scared on the inside because he was really going to die at the hands of the villagers. Suddenly red chakra started to appear around him. Naruto noticed this and he began to get even angrier. These villagers will pay for everything that they have done to him. He's going to kill them all. He will make sure they never hurt him again.

The chakra made him feel stronger and he felt like he could take them all out right now. The moment they got close he would kill every single of them without any hesitation. All the pain and misery that they had cause him was over with. He would return it by killing them. Naruto closed his eyes and suddenly he wasn't in the alley anymore.

He looked around and realized that he was in a place that looked like the sewers. There was water on the floor and a huge gate in front of him. He noticed the red chakra coming out of the gate towards him. It was like it was feeding off his hatred. He was truly mad at what going on but the thoughts he was having were crazy.

"Hello!"

There was no answer within the gate. It was too dark to see anything in there. What could be so dangerous that they would need such a huge gate? Naruto noticed a tag with a seal on it. Jiji had told him that seals like that were meant to seal things. It must be something dangerous in there.

A claw suddenly came out of the gate and almost got to him, " **So you finally decided to pay me a visit."**

Naruto was confused at the dark menacing voice. It was deep and full of anger, "Where am I? And who are you?"

" **It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you need me right now to survive."**

Survive? Does that mean he was in his mind or something? Why was such a monster in his mind? This was so confusing. He felt the chakra begin to engulf him, "Stop it! I don't need it!"

" **It's obvious that you will die without me. I will not be killed by the hands of mere peasants."**

"Please stop!" He started to feel the power that came with the chakra and it was amazing. He also felt so much hatred along with it which made him rethink everything.

" **These people deserve to die. They have made you suffer, now kill them."**

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He was always treated as a demon. Maybe he should become the demon that they fear. The voice was right. Why should he let them live? They have made his life terrible so maybe it was time for some payback.

"Okay. I will kill them. Tell me what to do."

The voice laughed at the blond's words, " **I want you to go out there and show them what a true demon is capable of."** He wanted to see those peasants die first. They irritated him more than being locked up behind this gate. He should've destroyed the village more back when he was free.

Naruto opened up his eyes and realized that he was back in the real world. The crowd stopped at the beginning of the alley that Naruto was in. They all had evil smirks on their faces. It seemed like time in different in his mind than out here. The chakra became more powerful as they got closer.

"The demon is finally showing his true colors. Let's kill him before he goes on a rampage!"

Naruto smirk at the sight of the weakling coming towards him, "I'm going to murder all of you." His eyes widened as he said that. What was he saying? This was not him. Was this chakra the reason they hated him? The hate of the chakra alone would make anyone go insane. A memory came to his mind at that moment.

(Flashback)

 _Naruto was currently sitting in the Hokage's office while Sarutobi was doing his paperwork. He would allow Naruto to hang out in the office sometimes. The boy never bothered him while he was working because he was so interested in exploring the office. He chuckled as the five-year-old was amazed at the pictures of the Hokages._

" _Hey, Jiji."_

" _Yes, Naruto-kun."_

" _What does it mean to be Hokage?"_

 _Sarutobi smiled at the young boy, "Are you interested in taking my job?"_

 _Naruto shrugged his shoulder, "Maybe, but I don't know what it means to become one."_

" _Becoming a Hokage means taking responsibilities of the whole village. Everyone sees you are their leaders and will trust what you tell them. You must take care of the village like it's your family."_

 _Naruto looked back at him, "But I never had one so how could I."_

 _Sarutobi frowned at that, "Protect the village like you would protect your friends."_

 _Naruto once again gave him a blank look, "But I don't have any friends."_

 _Sarutobi walked over to the window and looked out, "Being Hokage mean taking the burden of the whole village and still being able to walk forward. No matter how much some may hate you they are still people you must protect."_

 _Naruto scratched his head for a second, "So if I become Hokage I have to protect people that hate me?"_

 _Sarutobi walked over to him and put his hand on the young boy's head, "When I became Hokage I took the pledge to always watch over the village and protect it. It doesn't matter if everyone hates me. They are still people in this village that wish to wake up the next day and I make sure that they wake up in peace without any worries."_

" _Don't worry Jiji I'll make sure no one ever feels like me when I take over that hat. And why stop there." Naruto chuckled at himself._

" _Oh, what's so funny Naruto-kun?"_

" _I won't just be Hokage of this village. I'll be the leader of the whole world. I'll make sure everyone is happy."_

 _Sarutobi wanted to tell him that it wasn't possible to be the leader of the elemental nation but who was he to deny the boys dream, "I'll make sure to be there when you do Naruto."_

 _Naruto smiled, "Promise?"_

 _Knowing Naruto, he may be able to do it. Sarutobi gave the young boy a grin, "It's a promise."_

(End of flashback)

A few tears came out of Naruto's eyes. He had dreams that he promised Jiji. Was he really about to roll over and die? He promised to make sure that no one ever felt the way he did his whole childhood. He wants everyone to be happy and get along with each other. Jiji had told him the villagers were just scared and it caused them to act like this towards him.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. The thoughts of killing the oncoming villagers were gone. He took a deep breath in and began to concentrate. He doesn't have to kill any of them. He will just make sure to get out alive and hurting them enough to get out is alright.

Today he learned a few things. The teachers were just like the villagers. They were scared of the red chakra that was in him. Their emotions got the best of them so he couldn't blame them. He was only alone because he saw things the wrong way. Instead of letting his emotions get to him, how about he gets rid of them. He could get hurt if he never cares for others opinion on him. Jiji said that people hate him but he ignores them to do his duties as a Hokage.

He needed to think of the things that he had. He had people that wanted to see him tomorrow. He was so clouded in wanting others to accept him that he didn't realize how much he meant to those around him. The old man, Ayame, Teuchi. They were people he could rely on. It wasn't much but it was sure a hell lot better than nothing.

The voice in his head wasn't happy with what was going on, " **What are you doing!? Kill them! Stop it!"**

The voice had been feeding negative thoughts and that cause him to be angry. Again, emotions were his weakness. It was okay to show them but during battle, it would be the death of him. Naruto tried his best to control his breathing because the chakra felt like it was suffocating him.

The voice sounded confused at what was happening, " **Wait!? What are you doing!? What's happening!?"**

The red chakra became calm and disappeared from Naruto's body. He felt like the whole world had been lifted from his shoulders. Naruto had a bored neutral expression on his face. It was like nothing was on his mind. Nothing bothered him. He was in a state calm and concentrated on his situation. Everything began to look like it was in slow motion. He felt a surge of power within him. It felt like the red chakra but all the hate had disappeared. Naruto got into his fighting stance. Amazing what could happen in a matter of seconds. It was him against a mob of villagers. He's was going to get out of this alive.

His hair began to grow longer and his eyes turned red. A yellow spark lit up his hair causing it to become red. A calm layer of red chakra appeared over his body. With that, he ran towards the villagers at high speeds.

That night completely changed the mindset of Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

 **And cut! There you have it guys. This story has been in my head for the longest and it feels nice to let it out.**

 **This chapter was really depressing to write so I hope you all got the same feeling because that's what I was going for.**

 **Like always leave a review and I will see you all later.**

 **Mr. N is out.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I will gladly say I do but I would be deemed a liar by all of you.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: New Bonds**

A month.

That's how long Iruka has been feeling bad about what had happened. When he started his career He promised to himself that he would always set an example for the next generation and make sure to guide them on the right path. He promised himself that he would teach every single student the same way so none of them feel left was supposed to be him showing students how things were done and correcting their mistakes. So why?

Why didn't he do it for Naruto? When did he become lower than the villagers that treated him wrong? The Kyuubi killed his parents and it wasn't news that it was sealed inside Naruto. The moment Naruto appeared in his classroom he promised not to treat him like the rest of the villagers. He knew Naruto wasn't the Kyuubi because he was nothing like the heartless monster that took his parents that day. His inner hatred for the monster must have slipped past him and appeared without even realizing.

Iruka snapped out of his thoughts and lifted his head up towards the classroom. He must have been dozing off while grading the quiz that the kids had just taken. He smiled when he saw all of them interacting with each other. He hoped that after graduation they would still be the innocent kids that he taught. He looked to the corner of the room and frowned at the empty chair. He prayed to Kami that Naruto forgave him because he just couldn't forgive himself.

There was no word from why Naruto had suddenly stopped coming to class. Maybe he had finally snapped and gave everything up. He had asked the Hokage what had happened and he simply turned his chair and told him to relax. He said that Naruto was currently recovering. Iruka didn't want to push the subject any further so he left. He hoped that Naruto was fine and would return soon. The door suddenly flew opened catching everyone's attention.

"Ohaiyo!"

The class was quiet for few minutes because they were surprised by who had come in. Iruka was a bit startled by his entrance and shook his head, "N-naruto?

The said blond stood at the door with a huge grin on his face. It surprised many because he was known as the depressing kid that sat in the corner. What was more eye-catching was the bandages he had. He had some wrapped around his head while the top part of his hair remained free. He had his left hand all bandaged and his right wrist covered as well. He seemed like he had seen better days. Everyone just went back to talking because they didn't really think it was any of their business.

"Sorry I'm late Iruka-sensei." He scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

Iruka was a still in a trance where he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was this really Naruto? This wasn't the same kid that ran away a month ago and skipped class, "I-its okay. Please have a seat."

Naruto put his hand to his forehead and saluted the man, "Will do sir." He began to walk up the steps to get to his seat in the back. Before he reached it he saw Ino and Sakura talking to each other, "Morning Ino-chan, Sakura-chan."

Both Ino and sakura turned their attention to the blond. Ino smiled at him not really having much of a problem talking to him, "Morning Naruto."

Sakura looked down and blushed a little because she suddenly remembered what he had said to her a month ago. His confession was lingering in her head for a while, "M-morning."

Naruto smiled at her, "You're so pretty early in the morning, ain't ya Sakura." He gave her a big grin.

Sakura put her head even more down and her face turned red. The other kids were looking and wondering what was going on. Her head began to steam up at the attention, "I Um…"

Ino once again came to her defense, "Naruto you idiot don't say that out of the blue."

Naruto chuckled at her, "Now now Ino-chan. Jealous that I didn't compliment you?"

Ino crossed her arms, "Yea right! Like I'd want your compliment." She didn't care about his stupid compliments, "What's up with all the bandages. Did you get hurt?" It was more out of curiosity than being worried for him. She didn't know him well enough to wonder what he did on his spare time.

"Let's just say that I need to learn to dodge next time." He didn't want to get into that much.

Naruto smiled at them and continued on but instead of his usual desk, he decided to sit in the empty seat next to Shikamaru. He sat down and began to read a book that he had. Most of the students had gone back their business once again and ignored him like they usually do.

Shikamaru took a peek at who sat next to him. He had taken his usual nap and had wondered what all the noise was about. He noticed that Naruto didn't pay him any mind and just read his book. He decided to continue his nap and just let it be. As long as he didn't bug him then it would be fine.

Naruto reading a book that he had to ask Jiji to get for him while he was in the hospital. He was never into reading but he needed to learn as much as possible of being a ninja. The book was the basics of being a ninja. It would tell you everything you needed to learn about what kind of things you would expect to see and do as a ninja. It wouldn't teach him how to kill someone but would teach him how to cope with it.

The class had gone by without much trouble. Iruka had taught the class normally but he was still a bit nervous about Naruto being in the class. He didn't really know what to say to the boy. He had stopped the boy to stay after class so that he could talk to him. He wanted to apologize to the boy and he hoped that he could be forgiving. He would have to talk to him after school.

"What did you need Iruka-sensei?" Naruto looked at his teacher with curious eyes. He wanted to go home because he hadn't been there in a month. He was let out of the hospital in the morning. He was feeling fine in the first week but Jiji would not let him go.

Iruka sighed and prepared himself, "I called you in because I wanted to apologize." He looked at the ground, "I didn't know what got into me but I come to realize that I have been treating you wrong and I really do truly feel bad about it."

Naruto looked at Iruka with a frown on his face. He saw the errors in the way and actually apologized. It was a bit unexpected, "It's okay."

Iruka looked up with wide eyes, "W-what?"

Naruto smiled at the man. "It's okay Iruka-sensei. It's best to put that behind us and move forward." He wanted to let things like that not get to him anymore, "Is that all because I have a few things I have to do."

Iruka was shocked that Naruto forgave him so easily. How can he just shrug off what he had done to him? He would have been mad if he was in Naruto's positions, "Why… why are you forgiving me so easily?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulder, "People hate me Iruka. It's not a secret that I'm hated by the whole village. Even if they hate me I have to keep moving forward to my ultimate goal."

Iruka's interest peak in, "Ultimate goal?" Naruto has never talked about what he wanted to do in his ninja career. He was only six but it seemed like he was talking to an adult. What had happened to him that changed him in a month.

"Nevermind, I have to go now." Naruto walked out and before leaving he gave Iruka a grin, "I hope you continue to teach me and help me as I grow Iruka-sensei."

Iruka smiled and gave him a thumbs up, "I will make sure of it Naruto." After Naruto left, he kept looking at the door. He promised himself that he wouldn't treat Naruto any different from the other. He was a teacher and he didn't care what others thought of Naruto. He was his student and will help him in any way that he can.

XxX

Naruto was in his apartment and had noticed how dusty it got. It would have been nice if Jiji got someone to fix the place up. He began to clean the place and made sure that everything was in order. As he reached the bathroom he grabbed the kunai that he had in his wall and looked at him. It was a tough choice for him in the past but he now knew that he couldn't go along with it. He had grown up even if it was just a little. He wanted to be a better person and make his dream come true.

He put the kunai in a box and hid it in his closet. He hoped that he never had to open that box ever again. After an hour of cleaning, He began to write a few things down. He was going to graduate when he is twelve so he had a lot of time in between then to pick up his skills. He began to note down his skill level and so far he didn't like what he was writing. Compare to people like Sasuke he was just a normal civilian and could be taken out easily.

He started with his taijutsu. He didn't have any skill in taijutsu and lacked the reflexes to dodge incoming strikes. In other words, he was slow as shit and couldn't throw a punch to save his life. He also lacked strength because even if his punched connected it seemed like they didn't do much damage and that would be dangerous once he gets out of the academy. He needed to work out and start figuring out a form of taijutsu that will fit with him.

Ninjutsu wasn't a factor that he wanted to look at the moment because not many people in his class had any Jutsu's. People of clans probably knew a few basic ones but as of now, they weren't overpowered with them. He didn't know any to begin with because he had no one to teach him. He remembered Iruka saying that they would teach them the basic three ninjutsu that they had to get down before graduation.

Genjutsu wasn't a factor either and he wasn't really interested in ti at all. He was sure no one knew genjutsu in his class. They may learn about it but the would not have any Jutsu's on it. He may practice one day on dispelling it but that's as far as he will go with that subject. Maybe he would pick it up on a later date but for now, he would let it be.

Since he didn't have much of an option it seemed like getting physically stronger and working on taijutsu was his best option. He needed a routine that would get him to workout everyday and gain some muscle. He wrote down a list of things he needed to get done in the mornings before going to the academy. 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats, and a 7 mile run. Maybe he should add a fruit or some juice along there with it.

Naruto smiled at his list of workouts. This will help him get super strong and within time, he can be a god. He chuckled at himself. Might be pushing it too much. He ripped the paper out of the notebook and stuck it to the wall as a reminder of his daily routine. He would have to change it once he gets used to it. He smiled to himself and then left his apartment to see if he could find a private place to train.

He made sure to check the place so no one would bug him. He walked up to it and smiled, "Okay here we got!" Naruto punched the log with all his strength which was a rookie mistake, "Ow! Fuck!"

That hurt. A lot. Naruto never thought that it would hurt that much. He always saw some ninjas punching the log with ease so he just assumed that it would be very easy. He wiped some tears that came out of his face. He needed to get a grip and handle the pain. He was going to be the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. Jiji would be proud of him. He pushed the log once again.

"Fuck!"

It was easier said than done.

XxX

(A year later)

Sweat rolled off the young blond's face as he took his towel to wipe it off him. He had just returned from his run and he felt amazing. The first month of the training was brutal but he was able to cope with it after a while. It was the hardest thing he had ever done and that said something. He took off his sweaty shirt and looked at his seven-year-old body. He was certainly developing muscle. He could see a big difference from when he started.

The log training was a bitch too. He had come home with his fists and legs full of cuts and bruises. He was confused when they had healed the next morning. He had realized that he healed much faster than normal people do. He had read it in a book that it would take severals day or possibly a week for the healing to be completed. He wondered what it was but he came to a conclusion that it may be the monster that's in his mind. He would try everything to get inside his head just like that day but for some reason, he couldn't. It was like something just kept pushing him away. Even his own mind rejected him…

That power from that night was amazing but it had a nasty drawback. He had never been so close to death. It was a night that will continue to haunt him and he was glad that Jiji kept it a secret from other people. His power in his punches and kicks were stronger and packed a lot of power. He was still weak compared to someone like Sasuke but that because he started his training way before him. He was still at the bottom in his class but he managed to keep himself as passable.

He went into his bathroom and looked in the mirror and smiled at himself. He was growing and was making great progress. He would be really strong when he graduated and he would show the ninja world who they were messing with. The villagers will look up to him and finally treat him like a normal person. Even if they hated him he still had dreams that he wished to protect with all his power. Love him or hate him he would do all he can to make sure he kept his promise to Jiji.

"Okay, today I will beat whoever stands in my way." It was another day for some taijutsu practice and he would beat his opponent today. He still had no taijutsu style because he tried to copy others but it just wasn't working for him. Jiji had told him to find one that fits him and only him.

It was hard but when your Naruto, nothing is ever easy.

XxX

(At the Academy)

"You seem to be in a good mood today."

Naruto looked at the person next to him. Shikamaru had taken the time to greet him in the morning which was awfully rare. Since he was sitting next to him he had become friend with him. He was hard to talk to at first because he would pay him no attention or he would be sleeping and it was a hard approach. They weren't best friends or anything but they got along pretty well.

"Today is the day I will win Shikamaru." He had sparkles all over his face to show how serious he was. He was determined to make his mark and finally be noticed by everyone.

"Every time we have taijutsu practice you always say that." He would always end up losing to anyone. He would sometimes almost win but for some reason, he would lose his chance and get his ass beaten.

"Shikamaru's right Naruto. You never seem to beat anyone." Choji was eating his bag of chips and was listening in on the conversation.

Naruto flipped both of them off, "Some friends you guys are." They were seriously starting to piss him off.

Through Shikamaru, Naruto was able to become friends with Choji. He would play ninja with them a lot because no one wanted to let Choji play because of his weight. Naruto didn't have a problem with it because he was glad that he was able to make another friend. He was glad that he was able to get along with people in his class.

It was hard at first because he had never really talked all that much but he read a book called how to be social for dummies. It was very confusing at first because it had a lot of big words that he didn't understand so he had to use the dictionary along with it. He was able to hold some conversations with Ino and Sakura but it was hard. But now that he was able to get the hang of it and it suddenly became much easier.

He looked at the seat that he used to sit in and imagine his old self sitting in it. It would shock anyone to see the huge difference in between that time and now. His head turned when he noticed that the door had been opened and he saw Sasuke coming in. It had been two weeks since he had come to school. Seems like something must have happened to him. He also noticed that all the kids started to whisper and pointing at him.

"Did you hear?"

"Yea I heard his brother killed his entire clan."

"It turns out that he's the last remaining Uchiha."

"What if he decides to kill us just like his brother?"

"We better stay away."

Naruto raised his eyebrows. He must have been caught up in his training because he's never heard of this. Maybe that's why Itachi was acting strangely that one night. He hadn't really paid it much mind because the man was a walking mystery. So it seems like Itachi killed his entire clan and only left Sasuke. It was sweet that he left his little brother but it's so fucked up at the same time.

He eyed Sasuke as he walked slowly to his seat. It was odd that his usual friends kept their distance away from him. Seems like they fear Sasuke may kill them as well. Some friends that they are.

"Messed up isn't it."

Naruto turned his head towards Shikamaru, "It is." It was fucked up how they just spoke about him like that. To think that they would always hang out with him as if they were going to be friends for life.

"His friends abandoned him so fast." Shikaru lifted his head and yawned, "That why I choose to be friends with Choji instead of them. People like them are troublesome." Choji was a light hearted guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. He would stick by you no matter what.

"That's unusual of you to say but thanks, Shikamaru. Want some chips?" Choji smiled at what his friend has said. He was glad to have someone like him as a friend as well.

Shikamaru nodded his head and took a handful, "Thanks."

Naruto stared on as even his fangirls didn't want to bother Sasuke. Either out of giving him some space or fear. He honestly didn't care. It was tough to not know your family and be alone but it was fucked up to know ur family and then have them killed in one night. He probably had it way worse than he did at this moment. He felt some respect for Sasuke because he showed up to school and didn't think of the alternative way out like he did.

After a few minutes, they were all outside getting ready to do their taijutsu practice. Naruto had now stood in the front and observed everyone who fought. Shikamaru was a lazy bastard and wouldn't even put effort into the fight. On his extra lazy days, he would just give up and walk away. Maybe he was thinking that he had no chance or he was just as lazy as he thought.

When Choji fought he would use his size to overpower those that were smaller and much weaker than him. He would never hit as hard because he knew it was just a practice match and did not want to hurt anyone. He was such a nice guy. Kiba was a very cocky person in Naruto's opinion. He and Kiba had a rival type of friendship. Everything Naruto did Kiba would always be ahead of him. Considering that Naruto was at the bottom he would always brag about being better. He was a cool guy but he just needed to shut up sometimes.

Hinata was a very strange person. She had the potential to be the strongest girl in his grade but lacked the confidence to do so. She was a proud member of the Hyuga clan who were known to have some really powerful taijutsu that not many could match. She was very weak and really timid. Everytime he approached her she would faint so it was really difficult to talk to her. He tried to copy her form but he realized that without the Byakugan he would just be poking people. It would be a hilarious sight.

"Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. It had been a while since he had a chance to fight Sasuke. Iruka probably thought that he would get mad and run away just like last time. That was the old him. Iruka needed to understand that he had the chance. He was dedicated to making his dream a reality and nothing would get in his way.

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. Iruka was a bit nervous putting Naruto to fight Sasuke because he didn't want to see the boy be disappointed. Naruto had surprised him all year because he took things much more different than he did before. He would smile and shrug things off instead of getting annoyed by them. He has proved a bunch of times that he understands the subjects he teaches but fails to do so on tests. He knew Naruto could be at the top but he just didn't put in the effort for some reason.

Iruka was very concern for Sasuke because of his situation. He had heard just like every other person in the village. The Hokage had told him to watch out for Sasuke. He wanted him to watch over what he did and to keep updating him. They probably thought that Sasuke would become like his brother and betray the village. He felt wrong keeping intel on one of his students but it was the Hokage's orders.

"Are you ready to get your ass kicked Sasuke!" Naruto pointed at him to try to intimidate him. Naruto noticed that Sasuke was paying him no mind, "I see you're covered in fear. I will beat you this time."

" _I see that you're covered in fear."_

Sasuke's eyes widened at what Naruto had said. He gritted his teeth at the memory of that night. Itachi had said that same line to him and it pissed him off. He would get his revenge no matter what. He would do become the best and then go after him. He had nothing left in the village so he didn't care if anyone hated him.

"Okay, Begin!"

Naruto charged at Sasuke and kicked with all his might. Sasuke dodged the kick and saw how fast it was. To become the best he needed to defeat anyone in his way. He punched Naruto in the stomach but he realized too late that he was opened and paid for it when a fist hit the side of his head. The kids around awed when Sasuke was hit because he has honestly never been hit. Sasuke grabbed his head in pain. He was starting to hear whispers in his head.

" _Hate me, little brother."_

" _You are weak."_

" _When you're much stronger come find me."_

Just hearing that phrased pissed him off much more. He violently grabbed Naruto's shirt and body-slammed him to the ground. He raised his fist and punched Naruto in the face. The sound of a hardened fist hitting Naruto's face made the kids wince every time. He continued until Iruka grabbed his fist.

"Sasuke that's enough!"

Naruto was in pain at the moment. He didn't mind losing but he had never received brutal punched like that. To anyone else, they would think that they weren't as hard but it was like Sasuke was trying to kill him at the moment. He was taking all his anger and frustration out on him. It reminded him of someone. Someone that had lost all hope in life and had felt that there was no reason to live. Naruto saw Sasuke's eyes and was shocked. It was like he was staring at himself. His eyes were an endless void of hate towards someone and at the moment they were directed at him.

Iruka pulled Sasuke off Naruto, "The rules were once an opponent goes down it's over." He turned and saw Naruto's bloody nose, "Are you okay Naru-?" Iruka stopped mid sentence and watched Naruto.

Naruto stuck his arm out and formed the Seal of Reconciliation. Sasuke turned his head and noticed the gesture. It was something Naruto had done when he saw him and his brother a year ago before suddenly disappearing for a month. Sasuke sucked his teeth and returned the seal and walked away.

Iruka noticed that Sasuke walked out the academy gate, "Wait, Sasuke! Got dammit." Seems like every time he puts Naruto against Sasuke one of them ends up leaving.

Naruto just watched Sasuke leave. His fangirls still cheered him on and started whispering on how weak Naruto was. Naruto didn't pay them any mind. He just hoped Sasuke wouldn't do what he was planning to do that same night.

XxX

Naruto rubbed his cheek and winced at the pain. Sasuke's punches really hurt like a bitch. He felt every single punch that held so much strength in it. He could've beaten a lot of the kids in his class but he didn't want to reveal how strong he was. If Sasuke were to get into a fight they would be more cautious of him because everyone knows how strong he is. Compared to him people would laugh it off and charge and expect an easy victory for him.

Naruto wasn't someone who could be easily beat. He could fight but he still lacked some basic fundamentals in taijutsu. He lacked a form and that hurt him when he was in taijutsu practice. He had tried to use others but it felt so awkward to him. He had an idea one time to put all the styles together to form some kind of ultimate style but he laughed it off as it being a crazy idea. Now that he gave it some thought, what if it wasn't so crazy.

Unpredictable was his best friend and he needed to learn how to use it. He wasn't paying any attention and bumped into someone and fell to the ground, "Oh sorry about that."

"My dango!"

Naruto looked down and noticed the dango one the floor, "Oh shit, I'm really sorry about that." He bend down to pick them up but his hand was caught before he even made contact.

"You're going to pay for that gaki!"

Naruto looked up to see the women that had spoken. She had violet colored hair that was styled in a short spiky ponytail. The lack of any under clothe got a small blush from him. She had a meshed body suit with nothing underneath it which revealed quite a bit. She also wore an orange mini skirt and a tan overcoat. The shin guards were kinda out of place in his opinion but it wasn't his problem on what she choose to wear.

"What are you looking at!" Anko was already ticked off that he made her dropped her dango and now he was staring at her like she was some kind of idiot. She noticed his small blush and a sly smile made its way to her face, "Did my beautiful looks hypnotize you that much?"

Naruto blinked a few times before he smiled. He picked himself off and dusted the dirt on his shorts, "Honestly, yes."

Anko smile dropped and stared at Naruto. That wasn't the exact answer she was looking for. She hoped that he would blush more and maybe a nosebleed, "Tsk, you're no fun." He was still a kid. She grabbed his hands and dragged him into the dango shop she had just come from, "Since you decided to make me drop my dango, you're treating me."

Naruto let her drag him into the store. He didn't want any trouble and he really didn't have any problem with buying it for her. He didn't have much to do so this could be a good time killer, "Sure."

Anko stopped for a few seconds to stare at him, ' _Weird kid'_

They both their seats in one of the booths and Naruto allowed her to order all the dango she wanted. Her face lit up brighter than anything he had ever seen. He wasn't exactly broke so he could pay for whatever she wanted. Since he couldn't buy much in the village he had a lot of money saved up in his apartment in a secret safe. It was also nice to have someone to chat with.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was tense. The customers looked at their booth every now and then. It seemed like they knew that he had entered and made sure to keep an eye on him. If they didn't want him in here then why did they even allow him to sit? He just shrugged his shoulders and grabbed one of the dango's that he had ordered.

"So what's your name?" It was best to try to make the best of the situation that he was in. He took a bite out of his dango and smiled. It actually tasted really good.

"Anko Mitarashi. You can call me Anko-chan if you want."

"Okay, Anko-chan. Why drag me in here knowing who I am?" He was a bit confused on why anyone would even want anything to do with him. People would rather kill themselves than getting anywhere near him. It was a bit harsh but it held more truth than anything.

"Because you made me drop my dango. No one gets away with disrespecting the greatest food on earth." She crossed her arms to show how serious she was. She knew who he was and she didn't really care about all the hate towards him. She wasn't one to judge others and follow the trend to hate on him. She was more of a teaser.

"HA!" Naruto began to laugh loudly and slammed his fist on the table. He held his ribs and continued his laugh. After a few minutes, he wiped his tears and looked at her, "You sure are a funny lady. How can you rank dango as the best food? Ramen got you beat by a mile." He took a bite of his dango in a very serious way.

A tic mark appeared on Anko's forehead, "You better watch your mouth gaki. You can get really hurt if you talk about dango like that. Ramen is shit compared to dango." Anko snapped the skewer that she was holding to show her anger.

Naruto leaned over and glared at her, "You better watch your mouth you old hag. I don't care what rank you are, I will beat your ass if you go any further with that."

Anko leaned over and glared right back at Naruto, "Oh ho ho, seems like the gakis got some spark in him. You better watch that mouth of your before I castrate you."

"Ramen!"

"Dango!"

"Ramen!"

"Dango!"

The owner of the store had been getting a lot of complaints of the yelling that's been going on so he took it upon himself to get involved and stop it. He walked up to the two screaming customers, "Excuse me, I'm going to ask you to-"

Both Anko and Naruto turned to the man, "Stay out of this!"

The owner winced and began to shake, "P-pease continue." He walked away because he felt like his life flashed before his eyes.

Anko sigh and sat back down, "Sheesh gaki, you sure don't know when to give up."

Naruto smiled at her, "You can't stop me when it comes to ramen."

They both shared a laugh and continued to eat. They continued to talk through the day to learn a few things about each other. Naruto leaned that Anko wasn't very liked by the citizens because she had a dark past with a criminal from Konoha. That really got Naruto's interest but she didn't want to get too into it. After a few hours, she got a drunk and began to cause a bit of ruckus in the restaurant.

"I tell you Naruto, I a-always wanted to just leave this village because of the way they treat me." Anko was wobbling around in her seat.

Naruto chuckled at her. She was a bit of a loudmouth even when she was drunk, "Then why don't we just leave."

Anko looked around like she felt like someone was watching her, "Ha! I can't just leave like… wait did you say we?"

"Just you and me."

Anko suddenly stopped shaking and looked at his as serious as she could. It was hard because she knew she could pass out at any given moment, "You're fucking with me."

Naruto put his hands together and gave her an innocent smile, "Nope. I'm being dead serious."

"Why would I take you with me?"

Naruto reached over and grabbed her hands, "Because we understand each other. You know who I am and what my reputation is in this village. There's no one in this village that gets you like I do." He Intertwined his hands with hers, "Like soulmates." He gave her a laugh to indicate that he was joking.

It was clear that Naruto didn't mean it as that he didn't mean it in a love relationship. He was at most seven and she was 19. Anko knew this but it felt nice that someone would do that to make her feel happy for a bit, "Ha. Your funny kid. If only you were older." Anko sat her head down on the table, "Just maybe…"

Naruto noticed that she passed out. He liked her. He liked her alot. She understood him on how it felt to be hated by the villagers on some level. It may not have been like his but she got it. He rested his head on his cheeks, "It was nice talking to you A-chan."

Naruto put money on the table for the bill and walked out. He hoped to see her again. She a nice person at heart and used her carefree attitude to hide her inner struggles. Everything about her screamed for people to understand her. She may have found people who do and he would gladly join in to help her cope. She wasn't a bad person at heart. She was just misunderstood. After talking to her the whole day, he realized that this world had more people out there that are treated like they were lower than trash. Seems like he better start training harder.

A few hours later Anko had woken up and grabbed her head, "God this headache is killing me."

"Good to see that you're up Anko-san." The owner of the store had placed a glass of water in front of her. This wasn't the first time Anko had passed out in his shop. She did it every time she wanted to drink and he would always have to wake her up. She was his favorite customer because her personality lit up the place even if others didn't like her. He wasn't one to judge anyone that came into his store.

"Thanks, old man." She drank her glass and began to take money out of her pocket.

"Ah, Don't worry about the bill Anko-san. The child that came in with you paid for it all."

"Child? What Chi-" She looked at the seat that Naruto sat in front of her. She had forgotten about him for a minute. Seemed like he went home after she passed out. She noticed a note on the table and picked it up. The note had a chibi Naruto drawing on it with the middle finger sticking out and some words written on it.

 _Ramen is better than dango. A-chan you baka._

Anko grasped the paper with all her strength, "I'm going to get you for that you fucking brat." Killing intent filled the whole shop and caused the old man to shake in fear.

 _Just you and me._

A soft smile appeared on Anko's face, "Idiot."

(A Month Later)

"Stupid Iruka and his stupid detentions." Naruto was walking with his hands behind his head and had an angry looked on his face.

Shikamaru had his hands in his pockets and yawned, "It wasn't so bad. I was able to catch up in my naps."

"At least I had snacks with me." Choji bit his candy bar and smiled at them both.

Steam came out Naruto's head, "Why do you guys rat me out. No reason to take me down with you." He wasted so much time on detention that he couldn't even get a few hours to train since the sun was already setting.

"It's your own fault. You said that we're a team and if one goes down we all do." He gave the blond a lazy smile when he saw how annoyed he looked.

Naruto crossed his arms, "You guys are real assholes." The three of them had pranked Iruka-sensei by hiding all the chalk and books that he needed to start teaching. It was fun while it lasted. He was able to pinpoint Choji who left some chips as evidence and got Shikamaru as well but then he ratted him out and he spends his day in detention. It was a bitch but he was glad it was with them.

"I may as well just head home and sleep." Naruto stretched his arms in the air. He'd make an exception for today. He will train twice as hard tomorrow.

"I second that."

"Lazy bastard."

As they continued on their way home they were met with an unusual sight. Across from them, they saw Ino who was wearing a white jacket and was holding a flower. In front of her was Sasuke who had a neutral look on his face. Sasuke had not interacted with anyone every since he came back to school. The girls thought it was cool and hot and the boys ignored him because he was hogging up all the girl's attention. Sasuke became more popular but had no friends around him like used to have.

They watched as Sasuke didn't open his mouth and walked away from Ino. She looked down and looked like she was ready to cry. Sasuke was even more ruthless when he ignore the girls that would confess their feeling towards them. He would just ignore them and walked away and that can hurt a girl's, poor fragile heart. Ino noticed felt someone eye on her and looked at the three boys.

"We better start running," He knew how Ino was like when she was seen like this and didn't want to be any part of it. It got ugly if you took it head on.

Choji himself had stopped eating and had a scared look on his face, "Let's get out of here." He was prepared to run just like Shikamaru.

Ino was mad and began to runs towards them. Both Shikamaru and Choji ran off without giving a second thought. If she caught up they would get an earful. Ino was running towards them and was prepared to give a full chase but stopped when she realized that Naruto was still standing in the same spot. She was standing a few feet away from him and she instantly looked at the ground. She was embarrassed that they had seen her like that and hoped that they did not tell Sakura.

"You okay?"

Ino didn't look up but knew that he had a soft expression on his face. For some reason, Naruto had a soft spot for her and Sakura and would help them out if they ever needed it. He would fight the bullies that still made fun of Sakura's forehead or would say bad rumors about them. No one asked him to do any of that but it felt nice having someone they could count on.

Naruto walked up to her and took the flower out of her hand. He gave it a short sniff and smiled, "Don't worry about it Ino-chan. I'm sure he's just having a bad day." The number of times Sasuke got asked out since he returned is crazy. Some kids made a rumor that they think Sasuke doesn't like girls because he rejected them all.

Naruto grabbed Ino's hand and pulled her along with him, "Come one."

He took her to a place where he would go to if he ever felt down. Ichiraku was the place to go because ramen healed all wounds to the heart. Naruto entered the small ramen stand with a huge grin on his face, "I'm back!"

Teuchi smiled when he heard his favorite customers name, "Naruto my boy! It's good to have you back." It had been a while since he had visited them.

Ayame appeared when she heard her father yelling, "Naruto-kun must be back." It was no surprise that her father liked to yell every time Naruto came in. She noticed that Naruto was holding someone's hand, "Who's this Naruto-kun? Your girlfriend?"

Naruto gave her a chuckled, "Yes she i-" He was elbowed by Ino, "A friend. She just a friend." She didn't have to elbow him that hard.

They both sat down and ordered their ramen. Naruto had noticed that Ino had not really said anything on the way here, "~Ino-chan~" Naruto noticed that she wasn't paying much attention, "If you don't say anything I may go for a kiss on your cheek."

"Don't even think about it." The way she said it made him chuckle. She was always cold towards his affection. Sakura was a blast to tease but he noticed that it was starting to become harder and harder. She was has been improving herself to be more confident and sooner or later he felt like she would hurt him. He may as well have his fun with her while he can.

"Don't take it so seriously Ino-chan. I was going to go for your lips." He felt the glare that she was giving him, "Such a hard person to please. Good to see that you're still in the land of the living."

Ino sighed and picked up her chopsticks when she saw the bowl being placed in front of her, "Sorry Naruto. I'm just a bit worried."

Naruto was slurping some noodles, "About what?"

"If Sakura finds out I like Sasuke too she will hate me." She had made sure that no one was around when she confessed. That's why she was shocked when she saw the three of them staring at her. She didn't think anyone from her class was around that area.

"Don't worry about it Ino-chan. I'm Sure Sakura-chan wouldn't hate you for something so stupid." He was sure that Sakura wouldn't end a friendship over something so small.

"You think so?"

Naruto nodded his head, "Of course. You're her best friend and the person she looks up to."

"Can you guys just not mention anything. I want to be the one to tell her when the time is right." She did not want anyone to let Sakura know and make it seem like she was trying to backstab her.

"No problem Ino-chan. I'll let the others know but I'm sure they won't say anything." Choji and Shikamaru had been friends with Ino longer than he has and he was sure they would understand. Shikamaru honestly would not care and Choji would definitely understand.

"Look how cute they are Ayame."

Both Naruto and Ino noticed that Ayame and Teuchi had been listening to their conversation. Ayame smiled at Naruto, "I can't wait until the wedding. It's going to be great."

Teuchi himself was getting in on the teasing, "I hope you will let me serve my ramen at your wedding."

Naruto gave them both a deadpan look, "Alright guys chill. Nobody wants to marry this gorilla over here." He immediately felt a burst of killing intent next to him, "Seems like I have awakened the sleeping bear."

"Who are you calling a gorilla!?"

Naruto stood up from his seat and bowed, "Thanks for the meal old man." Naruto dropped the money on the counter and ran off. Before Ino had a chance to follow him, she stopped when she noticed him come back in, "Just have to finish my bowl." He grabbed his ramen bowl and proceeded to run. Ino clenched her teeth and began to chase after him.

Both Ayame and Teuchi chuckled at what had just occurred. It was nice of Naruto to bring a friend over. To think that the boy would be so popular in the span of a year. Whatever caused him to change all the sudden was beyond him. He was just happy to see Naruto getting out there and making friends.

Naruto was running around the village screaming that a gorilla was chasing him. Seems like he was getting his running in for the day. He stopped in front of the store and waited for Ino to catch up, "Okay Ino-chan, that's enough."

Ino stomped her feet as she made her way towards Naruto, "I'm going to kill you."

"Why would you kill me in front of your own house. I'm sure your parents wouldn't appreciate it."

Ino had stopped and realized that he was right. She was standing in front of her family shop, "Dragged me all the way to my house to save your ass. Idiot."

Naruto gave her a grin, "I'm such a gentlemen aren't I?"

Ino crossed her arms, "A baka is what you are."

Naruto gave her a soft smile and walked up to her to give her a hug, "Everythings going to be fine Ino-chan." He knew that she was still upset about being rejected.

If it were someone else, Ino would've pushed them off and continued to beat them up. But it was Naruto so she would let it slide for now, "Thanks…"

Naruto back away and put his hands in his pocket. He was blushing a little because he was a little embarrassed, "Anytime. Now get some rest." Naruto turned around and walked away.

Naruto was the most mysterious person Ino has ever met. He started out as a quiet weirdo to someone that was very easy to talk to. What could change a person so much like that? She had wondered where he had gone for that entire month that he didn't come to school. Sakura thought that because she rejected him he had disappeared. She blamed herself until he returned on that day with bandages all over him. Naruto was slowly starting to become the center of the class. He would talk to anyone even if they wanted nothing to do with him. He was slowly starting to become a bit cooler.

She saw him turn his head and gave her a sly smile, "~Goodnight Mrs. Uzumaki.~"

But no matter how much time passed, he would always be an idiot.

XxX

(The Next Day)

What does Naruto do in his free time? One would think that he spends his days off just eating ramen or pulling off some elaborate plan. In reality, all he does is read. That's it. Thanks to the Hokage he was able to supply him with different books that help him increase his knowledge of the world. If he planned on ruling the world then he needed to know everything about it. Thanks to all the books he was learning something new every day. He paid attention in class but he always appeared to be distracted. With being a ninja the best strategy was deception.

It was best to mask your abilities than to show them off to the world. He would rather face someone who underestimated him than someone who knows his skill level. The world was big and he knew that there was a lot of danger out there but he just couldn't wait to go out there and explore the world. He sometimes wondered why he never thought of running away during his depressing time. Maybe it was because he couldn't leave the village. It was his home and he felt wrong just leaving it like that. Maybe that's what drove Anko to stay in the first place. Seems like he understood her better.

After hours of reading, he decided to go for a short walk. He needed to get stronger and fighting a log can only get you so far. He needed to get someone to spar with him. He would ask Shikamaru but he would decline it really fast. He had asked Choji before but he would just get hungry after and he would have to buy him food. It got annoying real quick. Not many people took their training that serious at the early stage of the academy. They didn't really have to worry much because they wouldn't have to fight anyone until they graduated.

Naruto looked at the orange sky and smiled. Seems like he had spent the whole day reading. Sometimes he would get too caught in it and lose track of time. Naruto sighed, "I can't wait until I graduate." He just wanted to start doing missions and showing Jiji how badass he was.

Naruto had also taken an interest in Kenjutsu. He had asked the old man for a wooden sword to start practicing some with it and it was coming along great. The old man was really helpful. Jiji seemed more determined to help him than he did before. He had told him that if he ever needed any books to just ask him. The sword was a small gift for his hard work. Such a nice guy he was. Once he started practicing he realized that he felt more secure holding it. Because of that fateful night, he always had to carry some sort of weapon on him. He always had a kunai with him at all times. Call him crazy all you want but he was ready to stab at any giving chance.

He had been walking by a lake and he saw someone sitting at the end of the deck. He noticed that it was someone his age and also saw the Uchiha crest on the back of the boy's shirt. Seems like he was enjoying himself there. Naruto just walked past it and continued to ignore it. He didn't want anything to do with Sasuke. He shunned everyone away so he may as well do the same.

Shunned. That's what the whole village did to him. Could it be possible that others just did it to follow some kind of trend? He felt no different than those pesky villagers that same night. The way he said it left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was fucked up for him to talk like that. He was in the same situation a year ago and to see someone in that position hurt. It hurt because he knew the pain of being alone and not really having much of a path to go through.

Nobody would ever walk up to him and comfort him nor ask him what was wrong. If he lived like that he would have been better off dying. He had Ayame and Teuchi who were there in his time of need. Jiji would help him out when he could. The feeling of losing your most precious people hurts even worse than not having anyone at all. Sasuke had attachments and he lost it in one night. He never had anyone so he can't say he knew all the feeling that he felt.

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair, "What a messed up world this is." He decided to continue his walk. He would train to try to change the world to make sure that no one felt pain like that, "Rule the world huh." What a stupid goal for an idiot like him.

Sasuke had been sitting by himself and just looking at his reflection on the water. He was in pain every day from that nightmare that Itachi caused him. Those 72 hours were the most painful experience he has ever felt. Watching his parents be murdered over and over again was brutal torture. Now he was the last Uchiha in the village.

Itachi told him to hate him and seek revenge. Is that what he wanted from him? He was coming for him and he wouldn't stop until he found and killed his brother. He was already filled with hate and wanted to release it all but would hold it in until his battle with his brother. He knew what he was capable of so he needed to train twice as hard to get stronger. He would walk this path alone. He didn't need anyone nor did he need friends. They were just dead weight.

Sasuke held his breath and jumped into the river. This was the oath that he was taking. He would seek revenge for his clan. He will hunt and kill Itachi Uchiha. He was suddenly grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled from the water.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

Sasuke coughed up the water that had entered because he was surprised when someone had pulled him out. After he was able to catch his breath, he looked up and noticed a blond boy standing in front of him, "Naruto?"

Naruto was standing in front of him with his arms crossed, "I take my eyes off you for a second and the next thing I know you jump in to drown yourself." He panicked when he looked back and saw a splash of water where Sasuke had been sitting. He was afraid that he was going to kill himself.

"I wasn't going to kill myself…" Sasuke went to the edge of the docks and sat in the same spot he was in.

"Oh really? What were you doing then?"

Sasuke looked down at the water, "I was making an oath."

Naruto scratched his head, "Oath? Ah, whatever. You Uchihas sure are scary." He noticed Sasuke discomfort when he said that, "Sorry…" There was an awkward silence between them, "So what was this Oath about?"

"I… I want to kill my brother." He didn't know why he was telling Naruto but he just wanted someone to talk to. He felt so useless because he couldn't do anything that night. He wanted to move and try to attack but his legs froze up on him. What's the point in being the best in the academy when he just froze up when it mattered.

Naruto sighed and stood next to him, "Kill Itachi huh? That's going to be one tough challenge. I feel like taking over the world is much more simple than killing that guy." He chuckled to himself. Those words held more truth to them than anything.

Naruto noticed that Sasuke was in a state of silence. He seemed like he didn't want to say anything. Naruto knew what he was doing. He wanted to be left alone and not want anyone around to see him crying. He was still a kid just like him and like any other kid, they needed someone to be there when they were at their worst. He was lucky enough to remember he had people around him but everyone Sasuke considered family was gone.

Naruto looked at the sky once more, "I'm here for you if you need someone. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He didn't want him to feel like he was alone. They might not know each other that much but he felt like they understood each other better.

Since the day that his parents had died Sasuke had not been able to shed a single tear. He felt like he had to hold all the pain inside until he blew up. He was able to let it out. The tears flowed and the cries of someone who has lost everything filled the night sky.

Sasuke may have lost his family but on that day he gained someone he could share the pain with.

* * *

 **Another addition to my awesome story. It's awesome, right? Oh, who am I kidding I fucking wrote it, of course it is.**

 **Next chapter is when it will begin and I hope you are all ready for it to truly kick things into high gear.**

 **It was nice to type this up. Make sure to leave a comment, I'll catch you all later.**

 **Mr. N is out.**


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